THE COPPERSMITH. 85 



spirit which leads him to prefer tall trees to bushes. 

 Nevertheless, Alexander sometimes descends lower, 

 and then one may see and admire his coral feet and 

 crimson and primrose head-marking, and realize 

 that a bird which would be striking in any country 

 is really one of our commonest citizens, for when 

 once you know him by sight you may see him almost 

 anjnyhere, even in the trees in the streets ; while long 

 before his personal acquaintance is made his continual 

 " tonk-tonk-tonk," repeated indefinitely like the tick 

 of grandfather's clock, attests his ubiquity. Even 

 in the cold weather he will tune up. at times, but he 

 does not really do himself justice till it gets warm, 

 though he feels the heat as much as other birds, for 

 I have caught him gasping for breath like any crow. 

 No doubt, as he is an energetic little bird, he is 

 often scant of breath, forhke all thebarbet family 

 to which he belongs, he is of a somewhat clumsy 

 build, and not adapted for active exercise in a warm 

 chmate. Nevertheless he thrives exceedingly ; his 

 food, of wild fruits, is abundant, and he can peck 

 out a home in any old tree ; barbets, like woodpeckers, 

 excavating their own quarters, and nobly despising 

 any luxury in the form of bedding within. Both 

 barbets and woodpeckers have the toes in pairs like 

 a parrot's, two in front and two behind, which, as 

 stated above, has been cited in the case of the latter 



